Summary

This project is part of the San Xavier Farm Rehabilitation Project. Additional entries related to this project can be found at the following link: https://core.tdar.org/collection/27482

Reclamation is assisting the San Xavier District and the San Xavier Farm Cooperative in the extensive rehabilitation of approximately 1,700 acres of active and fallow farmland along the Santa Cruz River at San Xavier. While some present and former fields will be modified to better accommodate water application from various water delivery systems, the major impacts to fields and some adjacent lands will be from installation of water pipelines and vaults; construction of drainage channels and dikes, including an extension to the west of the existing Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) dike at Interstate 19 (I-19) at the Papago Interchange; and possible tree planting or farming in Field 34 near the southbound ramp of I-19. The project area is located just south of Tucson and west of the Tucson International Airport, and is generally bounded by Valencia Road to the north, the Santa Cruz River and I-19 to the east, the Papago Interchange to the south, and Mission Road and Black Mountain to the west.

As part of their on-call contract, Reclamation requested that ACS perform intensive testing of the impact areas within the project area, including excavation and infield analysis of human remains, and prepare a construction monitoring plan based on the results of testing; the requests to include the tree planting (Field 34) and ADOT dike extension areas were added later per request of Mr. Jon Czaplicki, Reclamation. All work was conducted under a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Archaeological Resources Protection Act permit (No. 2004/ACS/TO/WRO/001a), a Tohono O’odham Nation Legislative Council resolution (98-18, May 1998) for the entirety of the Farm Rehabilitation project, and San Xavier District authorization letters signed by Austin Nuñez, Chairman (May 2004, February 2005, and September 2005).